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Scientists 'penalised' for EC funding

THE BRITISH government came under fire this week for imposing procedures
which, according to Labour party critics, penalise research workers in universities
if they are successful in obtaining research funds from the European Commission
in Brussels.

Under current rules, the Treasury can reclaim from researchers the money
received from Brussels if the university department concerned had earlier
received direct government funding for research. Opposition MPs condemned
this policy during a debate in the House of Commons on Monday night on the
European Commission’s research programmes.

Jeremy Bray, Labour’s spokesman on science and technology, said that
this practice would discourage British researchers from seeking funds from
the five-year Framework Programme, which is due for revision this week when
research ministers meet in Brussels. The policy means that ‘we’re losing
influence in Europe and starving research at home’, he said.

Jim Cousins, the Labour MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central, expressed
fears that the policy would also confuse researchers at universities, who
would find it difficult to distinguish ‘European money’ from ‘domestic money’.
It will be a ‘recipe for disorder. We will find ourselves in an absolutely
appalling muddle,’ he said.

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However, Douglas Hogg, Britain’s industry minister who was due to attend
the Brussels meeting, rebutted the criticisms. ‘I don’t accept that domestic
programmes are being cut as a result of European spending. It’s not a legitimate
concern,’ he said.

On the subject of the Framework Programme, Hogg said that while the
government ‘is an enthusiastic supporter’ of the programme, ‘we are determined
to get value for money’. The minister vowed to oppose strongly the European
Commission’s proposal to add an extra 2.7 billion European Currency Units
(Pounds sterling 1.95 billion) to the Framework Programme running between
1990 and 1992.

He pointed out that for this stage of the programme, 3.1 billion ECU
would already be outstanding from previous commitments, and that this sum
was sufficient, given the proposed content of the programme. ‘We judge that,
on the grounds of programme content, a spending of 2.7 billion ECU (extra)
is not justified,’ he told the House. He added that he would also fight
to reduce a proposed budget for 1993/4 of 5 billion ECU.

The meeting being held in Brussels will try to decide on funding for
the next phase of the Framework Programme. France, whose presidency of the
Community ends with the new year, is anxious to reach agreement on funding
for the period 1991 to 1994. It is broadly backing the Commission’s demands
for 7.7 billion European Currency Units (Pounds sterling 5.4 billion) over
four years (This Week, 4 November). Half the EEC member states – Denmark,
Greece, Ireland, Italy and Portugal as well as France – agree on this. Britain,
however, has expressed strong reservations.

This month the European Parliament asked for even more money than the
Commission, 8.23 billion ECU instead of 7.7 billion.